Brunch is a special meal. Free from the hurriedness of the modern breakfast, it sits snugly between breakfast and lunch, offering a tranquil risposte to the stresses of the day. Originating among the aristocracy of nineteenth century London as a late Sunday breakfast after a Saturday night of partying, brunch has taken off in the U.S. over the last 30 years, with many people relishing its unique blend of traditional breakfast and lunch foods, or the sweet and the savoury. As more and more people jump on the brunch train, I’m offering you the secrets to planning a great brunch. 

Prepare the Table a Day Ahead

One of the downsides of brunch is that, unlike dinner, the host doesn’t have an entire day to prepare. To win back time, you need to prepare a day ahead. So set the table, or, if you’re no good at that stuff, get a service to set the table for you. 

This will leave you free to focus on the dishes, cleaning the kitchen, and dressing up the next day. 

Pre-Cook Some of the Meals

Now, freshness is important, but there are things that you can make the day before. For example, you can pre-cook sausages and bacon and then reheat just before serving them. Or, for another example, you can pre-mix your omelettes and hashes, cooking them when your guests arrive. You want to embrace a kind of “just-in-time” philosophy, so that everything that can be is ready to cook just as the guests arrive or when you need it. So where you can, pre-cook, pre-mix, or do whatever you can so long as everything is ready just in time. 

Make Cold and Room Temperature Dishes

We’ve all experienced the stress and frustration of trying to serve food at some specific temperature. For instance, how many times have you tried to keep potatoes warm and ended up with these dry, crusty things that feel like eating cow hide? 

Pre-preparing your food is a great way to get round this problem. All you have to do is have the ingredients ready to cook just-in-time. But a broader theme is to try and serve some cold or room temperature dishes, such as salads. 

Turn it Into a Buffet 

The best Sunday brunch is a social festival, it’s about people getting together and talking. If you’re too busy serving the food, then not only do you miss out on the socialising, you also don’t get to direct conversation and make sure it flows smoothly and everyone is having a good time. 

So what you need to do is to turn the brunch into a buffet and let everyone serve themselves. This way, everyone is fed, you don’t miss the whole brunch because you are too busy running around, and the whole point of brunch is met: people socialise. 

Drink Up!

When brunch was first invented, Guy Beringer, who coined the term, suggested that alcohol should be served to get everyone in a good mood. 125 years since brunch was introduced to the United States, that advice seems so apt. So get out those Caesars and mimosas and other cocktails, and for those who don’t drink, non-alcoholic options, to get everyone in a great mood!